The Republican journal., 1887-02-24
Police Court Jurisdiction.

HEARING BEFORE TIE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
There was a hearing before the legislative com
mittee on legal affairs at Augusta last Thursday on
petitions from this city asking that the laws gov
erning the police court of Belfast be so amended
that trial justices may have concurrent jurisdiction
far as relates to the issuing of warrants for
search and seizure process, looking towards secur
ing better enforcement of the laws against rum
selling. The petitioners were represented by Rev.
G. W. jenkins, Rev. B. C. Wentworth, and G. E.
Bracket, members of the &. T. committee, and
what the petitioners claimed was in substance, that
the present police judge by his methods of issuing
warrants his personal treatment of citizens requir
ing his official aid and his positive refusal in at
least two specific cases to grant warrants against
two notorious rumsellers when asked to do so I'M
der Sec. 40 of Chap. p X. S., was fatally obstruc
tive to the efforts of said committee to aid in the
enforcement of the laws against rumsellng in Bel
fast, and they asked that trial justices in this city
be given authority to issue warrants as well as the
police court, under the law for search and seizure,
&c, it being specifically stated in their petition
that jurisdiction in the matters pertaining to laws
bearing drunkenness, and also on that section
sometimes called locally the tramp law" shall
main as now under the entire control of the police
court thus preventing recurrence of the unnec-
essary expense heretofore justly complained of.
The remonstrants were represented by Mayor
Baker, Judge johnson, Representative vii on, eN-
constable Ellis, and others, backed their at
torney, Hartman, said by over 40 of the promin-
ent citizens Of Belfast who had come to Augusta
that day. This assumption of 'backing'' is liable
TO a slight modification when it is known that the
whole number of tickets sold to Augusta from Bel
fast that day was 4}, and we venture the assertion
that not more than dozen of them knew of the
hearing the police court question but Went over
citizens interested i'll the railroad hearing and
goodly majority of the delegation Will hardly feel
complimented by being included among the "back-
ers' of the police judge.
The first witness called by the remonstrants at
torncy was Mayor Baker who s's;liled in in his
own peculiar self laudatory style, after which ii
would seem as though there was nothing left iol
the committee to do bet to report the petitioners
"leave to Withdraw But somehow the legal af
fairs committee did not view it in that light and
they began asking the Mayor questions.
You are the Mayor of Belfast"
''Yes, sir.
SIS rumsclling common and open in Belfast a
these petitioners say, and nothing done by the
officers to suppress it,"
'Well, yes. Some liquor is sold there
"I1ave You Mayor attempted to perform youi
duty and enforce the law
"No. It's no use. And besides the law Is Ell
forced as well in Belfast in any place in the
State
Al this last answer at least four members of tho
committee representing different sections of til.
State, almost in unison emphaticaily entered thci,
|. protests of: 'Not so' s'Nou are mstaktn,' etc
etc.
1t is not often thai members of legislative com
mittee ''sit down. soli,lly on witness testify
ing before them, and only strong provocaton ant
unjustitiable statements would warrant 1t. The
Mayor wiltel.
Judge johnson in an extended plea eN planned
his personal methods when police Judge, referee
to the high standing and legal qualifications, cic.
of the present police judge and his proposal tC
submit the legal questions to the :. j. Court, etc
| all of which is fully admitted and in regard t,
which there is no question presented.
Representative Wilson explained how the pe
titon and circumstances were sent to him and by
his request referred to the committee legal af
fairs objected to changing the jurstiction testiiet
to the good standing of the petitioners citizens
and closed by claiming to be a temperance man
As he is Democrat he must be a Temperance MAJ
| from principle.
EN- Constable ELS referred to his official rcla
tions with the police judge several years ago
while he was attempting to enforce the liquor law,
here, and said that the judges actions then wcr,
entirely satisfactory to him.
Col. Fogler who had been attending the railroa,
hearing in another room came in and was calle'
upon to testify in the matter. His statements an,
opinions were evidently received by the committe,
with much interests specialiy by the legal members
who piled him with questions upon all points re
| result of which may best be summed up in tn,
decision of several bystanders who had listened t.
the hearing, q ''dead give away We have
heard of a weapon called a boomerang and it:
peculiar method of operating and we think til,
| remonstrants must have felt as though they h;tt
been foong with one of those weapons.
While Col. Fogler expressed himself a- oppose
on general principles to amending laws relating t
the police court jurisdiction and gave witness tt
the ability, and "pecuarly technical mind o
| the police judge, yet the questions of the com
mittee brought out answers, facts, citation %
| crs in nearly every particular, and specially il
their right to be granted warrants under the law
| as given in Sec. 4G, as above referred to.
The hearing lasted until nearly =. NJ. and til,
committee will probably make their report tl
week.